Confocal microscope

Abstract

In a confocal microscope, a beam of light from a light source is lead to a rotary disk by way of an optical lens and a half mirror, and made to strike specimen by way of an objective lens. The rotary disk has random pin hole pattern sections where pin holes are randomly bored through a light blocking mask, and an aperture section having an area k 2 times greater than the area of the random pin hole pattern sections and allowing any light to pass therethrough. The beam of light reflected by the specimen is made to enter a CCD camera by way of the objective lens, the rotary disk, the half mirror and a condenser lens. The CCD camera is adapted to selectively pick up a composite image containing a confocal image component and a non-confocal image component of the specimen obtained through the random pin hole pattern sections and a conventional image of the specimen obtained through the aperture section. Then, a CPU carries out an arithmetic operation of subtracting the conventional image data from the composite image data by means of a difference program to produce a confocal image of the specimen.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A confocal microscope comprising: 
       a light source for emitting a beam of light;  
       irradiating means for irradiating a specimen with the beam of light emitted from said light source through a member comprising parts that transmit light and parts that block light;  
       first extraction means for extracting a composite image by transmitting a beam of light emitted from the specimen due to irradiation of the specimen by the beam of light emitted from the light source, through the member comprising parts that transmit light and parts that block light, to overlay a non-confocal image on a confocal image;  
       second extraction means for extracting a bright-field image by irradiating the specimen with the beam of light emitted from the light source and transmitting a beam of light emitted from the specimen;  
       brightness varying means for modifying a brightness of at least one of the composite image and the bright-field image;  
       image pickup means for selectively picking up the composite image and the bright-field image extracted by said first extraction means and said second extraction means, respectively; and  
       arithmetic operation means for obtaining a confocal image of said specimen by subtracting data of the bright-field image from data of the composite image picked up by said image pickup means.  
     
     
       2. A confocal microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein said brightness varying means comprises means for modifying a ratio of the composite image to the bright-field image in an operation of said arithmetic operation means. 
     
     
       3. A confocal microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein said brightness varying means comprises a plurality of light blocking members that block light. 
     
     
       4. A confocal microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein said brightness varying means utilizes an angle between 60° and 90° for performing a ratio varying operation.